Ars Technica is reporting that two sources, one inside the company and one outside of it, that Google is preparing to deliver a Chrome-focused operating system targeted at the booming netbook market. Chrome is a browser released by Google last year. One source says that the new OS will be launched soon, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

Circulating since shortly after the release of Android, the theory that Google might be developing an operating system based on a modified version of the mobile platform seems unlikely in this case. Google has very clearly stated in the past that it has no plans to adapt Android to netbooks itself. The search giant prefers to leave that as an exercise for third-party adopters.

Ars however believes another possible approach might be that Google is building a separate lightweight Linux operating system that can be used as a host environment for Chrome.

Google has not yet issued a response to requests for official comment.